People will soon have to register their drones with the federal government

AP Photo/Kin Cheung
The federal government will soon require owners of drones to register their devices with the US Department of Transportation, NBC News reports.

The forthcoming rules stem from concerns about the airspace that drones share with larger aircraft.

A handful of incidences have occurred in which drones have either gotten too close to commercial jets or hindered firefighting operations.

Currently, consumer recreational drones have been the type most often involved in such incidents, which have prompted federal officials to explore ways to keep track of the aerial devices.

A plan for registering drones is expected to be announced soon, according to NBC News. The plan would allow law enforcement officials to track down the owners of the devices, if necessary.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced earlier this month that it was also brainstorming technologies to keep drones out of restricted airspace. One such method is known as geo-fencing. If a drone has geo-fencing technology installed, it will automatically shut down the drone if the craft wanders into an area that's off-limits.

In May, a man was arrested in Washington, DC, after trying to launch a drone outside the White House fence. Months before that, an off-duty US intelligence employee got in trouble for landing a quadcopter drone on the White House lawn.

Aside from worries over drones entering restricted airspace, officials have also highlighted the potential danger of modified consumer drones — like one in Connecticut that had a handgun mounted to it. The 18-year-old owner of that drone posted a YouTube video in July showing the drone firing shots in the woods.